What to do with your solar eclipse glasses

For the millions of people across North America who viewed the total solar eclipse, here’s what to do with your eclipse glasses instead of throwing them away.

Now that Monday’s celestial spectacle has come and gone, millions of people across North America may find their protective eclipse eyewear lying around the house. For the fortunate folks who witnessed the rare solar event, there may not be a need to throw out gently used pairs of solar eclipse viewing glasses. Eclipse glasses that meet a specific safety standard, known as ISO 12312-2, are safe to reuse, according to the American Astronomical Society. That means the same glasses worn during the 2024 total solar eclipse will serve as effective protection during the next total solar eclipse in 2026 that will be visible over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small portion of Portugal and appear as a partial eclipse in parts of Europe, Africa and North America. The glasses can also shield eyes in 2044 during the next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous United States, over North Dakota and Montana. “It’s best to store eclipse glasses away from anything sharp that could scratch or puncture the filters, and if there’s any doubt about the safety of your glasses by the time of the next eclipse, it’s best to discard the glasses and get a new pair,” said Dr. Kerry Hensley, editor of AAS Nova and the society’s deputy press officer, in an email. Do not reuse the glasses if the lenses appear to be scratched, ripped or punctured, or if the solar filter is detached from the frame, Hensley added. Dispose of damaged or scratched solar eclipse glasses by removing the lenses and recycling the cardboard, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.